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Re: West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball
As with any individual game, don't want to read too much into it. Now if we are seeing the same sort of problems for several games in a row, yea, might be time to worry.
Just my general take on the game. WLU had a VERY poor 3 point shooting night. Typically that happens one or two times a year. When that does happen, we become a very beatable team although we USUALLY find a way to gut it out and win close (like THIS game!).
Got to look at the little things in a game like this. For example, WLU shot 46% inside the 3 point line in the first half (11/24) and bumped that up to 61% in the second (14/23). While 3 extra 2 point buckets don't seem like much, in a tight game like this those 6 points are critical. On the defensive end, WLU ratcheted up the D taking Sheeps inside the arc shooting down from 52% in the first half to 48% in the second (shot one fewer bucket). Small swings but enough for WLU to turn a 2 point halftime deficit into a 1 point win.
Something that I don't like...after a 3 ball to extend our lead to 10 with about 4 minutes to play, we went 0-5 shooting from 3 point range and 0-2 inside the arc!! While going 0-7 down the stretch is annoying, what is really upsetting is the shot selection. Players need to have a feel for the game and that feel last night should have been, we ain't shooting the 3 ball well tonight...with 4 minutes to play and a 10 point lead the shooters have to take a few extra dribbles and bring it in closer for more manageable 2 point trys. WLU loves trading 3 for 2 but sometimes the players have to realize that in a particular point in some games, 2 for 2 is the way to go.
As with any individual game, don't want to read too much into it. Now if we are seeing the same sort of problems for several games in a row, yea, might be time to worry.
Just my general take on the game. WLU had a VERY poor 3 point shooting night. Typically that happens one or two times a year. When that does happen, we become a very beatable team although we USUALLY find a way to gut it out and win close (like THIS game!).
Got to look at the little things in a game like this. For example, WLU shot 46% inside the 3 point line in the first half (11/24) and bumped that up to 61% in the second (14/23). While 3 extra 2 point buckets don't seem like much, in a tight game like this those 6 points are critical. On the defensive end, WLU ratcheted up the D taking Sheeps inside the arc shooting down from 52% in the first half to 48% in the second (shot one fewer bucket). Small swings but enough for WLU to turn a 2 point halftime deficit into a 1 point win.
Something that I don't like...after a 3 ball to extend our lead to 10 with about 4 minutes to play, we went 0-5 shooting from 3 point range and 0-2 inside the arc!! While going 0-7 down the stretch is annoying, what is really upsetting is the shot selection. Players need to have a feel for the game and that feel last night should have been, we ain't shooting the 3 ball well tonight...with 4 minutes to play and a 10 point lead the shooters have to take a few extra dribbles and bring it in closer for more manageable 2 point trys. WLU loves trading 3 for 2 but sometimes the players have to realize that in a particular point in some games, 2 for 2 is the way to go.
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